Montauk Branch
Montauk Branch= The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Branch Babylon Branch] is highlighted. Distances shown in miles from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Station_(New_York_City) New York Pennsylvania Station]. |} The '''Montauk – Babylon Branch''' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_line rail line] and service owned and operated by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_Rail_Road Long Island Rail Road] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state U.S. state] of New York. The branch runs the length of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island Long Island], 115 miles (185 km)[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]''] from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_City_(LIRR_station) Long Island City] on the west to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_(LIRR_station) Montauk] on the east. However, LIRR maps and schedules only east of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_(LIRR_station) Babylon]; the line west of there is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Branch Babylon Branch], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hempstead_Branch West Hempstead Branch], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Terminal_Zone City Terminal Zone]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-0 [1]][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-1 [2]] Contents [hide]*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#Route_description 1 Route description] *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#History 2 History] **[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#Formation_and_early_days:_1860s_to_1925 2.1 Formation and early days: 1860s to 1925] **[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#Babylon_electrification:_1925_to_present 2.2 Babylon electrification: 1925 to present] *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#Stations 3 Stations] **[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#Full_list.2C_including_all_former_stations 3.1 Full list, including all former stations] *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#References 4 References] |} [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=1 edit]] Route description The westernmost portion of the Montauk Branch in Queens, known as the "Old Montauk" or "Lower Montauk", runs from Long Island City to a connection with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Branch Atlantic Branch] west of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_(LIRR_station) Jamaica], mostly at street level with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_crossing grade crossings]. This portion of the line sees only two regular passenger trains on weekdays only, which make no stops on the Old Montauk itself. Five intermediate stations in Queens ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Hill_(LIRR_station) Richmond Hill], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendale_(LIRR_station) Glendale], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Pond_(LIRR_station) Fresh Pond], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haberman_(LIRR_station) Haberman], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Bridge_(LIRR_station) Penny Bridge]) were closed on March 13, 1998[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-NYT_close-2 [3]] due to low ridership and incompatibility with then new high level platform only bi-level coach cars. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Montaukwdhvnjeh.JPG ][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Montaukwdhvnjeh.JPG ]88th Street grade crossing over the Montauk Branch; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhaven_Boulevard Woodhaven Boulevard] overpass in background.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Montauk_Branch_Grand_Av_jeh.JPG ][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Montauk_Branch_Grand_Av_jeh.JPG ]Passing over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Avenue,_Queens Grand Avenue, Queens]The portion from Jamaica to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_(LIRR_station) Babylon] has been electrified since 1925. From Babylon east to Montauk, diesel-electric or hybrid electric/diesel-electric locomotives haul trains of passenger coaches. The Montauk Line has heavy ridership and frequent service as far as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patchogue_(LIRR_station) Patchogue] and commuter service as far as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speonk_(LIRR_station) Speonk]. In the summer, with travelers going out to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hamptons The Hamptons], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Island Fire Island] and other beaches, additional service is operated to the far eastern terminal at Montauk, such as the ''Cannonball'', a Friday afternoon train departing from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunterspoint_Avenue_(LIRR_station) Hunterspoint Avenue] and running non-stop between Jamaica and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westhampton,_NY Westhampton]. The Montauk Branch, along with the parallel Atlantic Branch, spawns three subsidiary branches: the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hempstead_Branch West Hempstead Branch], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Rockaway_Branch Far Rockaway Branch], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach_Branch Long Beach Branch]. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrified_(rail) electrified] portion of the Montauk Branch ends at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon,_NY Babylon]; the electric service to Babylon is often identified as a separate service, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Branch Babylon Branch]. Some of the Montauk's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_(rail) diesel] trains begin or end their runs at Babylon station, connecting with electric trains there. Other Montauk diesel trains operate into New York City, to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica,_NY Jamaica], Hunterspoint Avenue, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_City,_NY Long Island City], or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Penn_Station New York Penn Station]. The terminal stations in diesel territory, east of Babylon, are Patchogue, Speonk, and Montauk. The Montauk Branch is double-tracked from Long Island City all the way through Babylon, becoming single track at Y Interlocking (located east of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayville_(LIRR_station) Sayville Station]). Most Montauk Branch diesel trains operate west to NYC via the diesel-only [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Branch_(Long_Island_Rail_Road) Central Branch], joining the Main Line east of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethpage,_NY Bethpage]. Only a few actually run via the Montauk Branch west of Babylon, under normal conditions on the Main Line. The Montauk was home to the only tower (PD Tower) in North America that regularly used "hooping" train operations, located in Patchogue. "Hooping" is the transfer of instructions to both the engineer and conductor by attaching the folded orders to the "hoop", a rod several feet long with a loop at the end that is passed from the ground to a moving train by catching the loop on one's arm. The last train to get hooped at PD was train 2730 on May 6, 2006.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-3 [4]] The Montauk Branch enjoys frequent service and has heavy ridership because it serves the suburban communities on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau_County,_New_York Nassau County]'s and westernmost [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_County,_New_York Suffolk County]'s south shore. It is grade-separated on embankments or elevated structures from Jamaica Station to Babylon Station. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=2 edit]] History Currently, the Montauk Branch intersects with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushwick_Branch Bushwick Branch], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Ridge_Branch Bay Ridge Branch], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hempstead_Branch West Hempstead Branch], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Branch_(Long_Island_Rail_Road) Central Branch], as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Line_(LIRR) Main Line] at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_City,_NY Long Island City] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica,_NY Jamaica] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Branch Atlantic Branch] at Jamaica and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Stream,_NY Valley Stream]; the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Rockaway_Branch Far Rockaway Branch] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach_Branch Long Beach Branch] are connected via the Atlantic Branch at Valley Stream. In the past, junctions existed with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockaway_Beach_Branch Rockaway Beach Branch] (a quarter mile east of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhaven_Boulevard Woodhaven Boulevard]), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Hempstead_Branch Southern Hempstead Branch] (Valley Stream to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hempstead_(village),_New_York Hempstead]), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manorville_Branch Manorville Branch] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastport,_NY Eastport] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manorville,_NY Manorville] on the Main Line), and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sag_Harbor_Branch Sag Harbor Branch] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgehampton,_NY Bridgehampton] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sag_Harbor,_NY Sag Harbor]). In early times, the ''Scoot'' ran frequently between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenport,_NY Greenport] on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Fork_(Long_Island) North Fork], "around the horn" on the Manorville Branch, and east to Sag Harbor. In their day, both of those villages were very busy, bustling ports. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=3 edit]] Formation and early days: 1860s to 1925 See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Side_Railroad_of_Long_Island South Side Railroad of Long Island]The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Side_Railroad_of_Long_Island South Side Railroad of Long Island] built the line from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushwick,_Brooklyn Bushwick, Brooklyn] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patchogue,_NY Patchogue] in the 1860s, and completed the new line to Long Island City in 1870.[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]''] With the reorganization of the South Side as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railroad_of_Long_Island Southern Railroad of Long Island] in 1874 and its lease by the LIRR in 1876, this line became the '''Southern Railroad Division''',[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-4 [5]], '''Southern Railroad of Long Island Division''', or simply '''Southern Division'''.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-5 [6]] Effective Sunday, June 25, 1876, all Southern Division passenger trains were rerouted to use the LIRR main line from [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Berlin_Junction&action=edit&redlink=1 Berlin Junction] (west of Jamaica) to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockaway_Junction Rockaway Junction], and the LIRR's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedarhurst_Cutoff Rockaway Branch] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Junction_(Long_Island_Rail_Road) Springfield Junction], where it crossed the Southern. This change resulted in the closure of the Southern's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_(South_Side_Railroad_of_Long_Island_station) Berlin], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_Street_(LIRR_station) Beaver Street] (Jamaica), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locust_Avenue_(LIRR_station) Locust Avenue], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_(LIRR_station) Springfield] stations.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-6 [7]] The old line between Jamaica and Springfield, which became freight-only, was renamed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Southern_Road Old Southern Road].[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]''] The Southern was reorganized as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_and_Montauk_Railroad Brooklyn and Montauk Railroad] in 1879,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-Seyfried-7 [8]] and on March 14, 1880, the name was changed from the Southern Division to the '''Montauk Division'''.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-8 [9]] Thus the old South Side Railroad, except between Jamaica and Springfield Junction, was now the Montauk Division. The LIRR opened the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sag_Harbor_Branch Sag Harbor Branch], including the present Montauk Branch from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastport,_NY Eastport] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgehampton,_NY Bridgehampton], on June 8, 1870.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-9 [10]] On July 27, 1881, after the South Side became part of the LIRR, its line – then the Montauk Division – was extended east to the Sag Harbor Branch at Eastport.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-10 [11]] The Sag Harbor Branch east of Eastport became part of the Montauk Division,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-11 [12]] and the old line from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manor,_NY Manor] (Manorville) to Eastport became the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manor_Branch Manor Branch].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-12 [13]] An extension to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk,_NY Montauk], splitting off the old Sag Harbor Branch at Bridgehampton, opened to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amagansett,_NY Amagansett] on June 1, 1895[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-13 [14]] and to Montauk by September,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-14 [15]] and the line between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor reverted to the old [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sag_Harbor_Branch Sag Harbor Branch] name.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-15 [16]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=4 edit]] Babylon electrification: 1925 to present None of the Montauk Branch was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrified_(rail) electrified] in the first round of electrification, in which the entire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Branch Atlantic Division], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Line_(LIRR) Main Line] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens_Village,_NY Queens Village], and many branches were upgraded.[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]''] Electrification of the Montauk Division from Jamaica to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon,_NY Babylon] was completed on May 20, 1925,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-16 [17]] and normal operation began the next day.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-17 [18]] The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Extension_(Long_Island_Rail_Road) Central Extension] between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethpage,_NY Bethpage] and Babylon was reopened for freight trains that had run via the Montauk Division.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Branch#cite_note-18 [19]] 1998 saw the closure of three lightly used stations: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_Moriches_(LIRR_station) Center Moriches], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quogue_(LIRR_station) Quogue], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton_Campus_(LIRR_station) Southampton College]. Southampton College was temporarily reinstated in 2004, complete with a steel walkway over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_Highway Sunrise Highway] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinnecock_Hills_Golf_Club Shinnecock Hills Golf Club], during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Open_(golf) U.S. Open (golf)] tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, the walkway was dismantled and the station stop discontinued. The Montauk station was initially near the center of a sleepy fishing village at the north end of Fort Pond (where Austin Corbin built a pier in his unsuccessful effort to have trans-Atlantic ships dock there.) The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hurricane_of_1938 Great Hurricane of 1938] devastated the terminus area and tore up sections of the roadbed. The population center then moved two miles (3 km) to the south, away from the station. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=5 edit]] Stations [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hempstead_Branch West Hempstead Branch] trains split off after St. Albans. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_Branch Babylon Branch] trains terminate at Babylon, while Montauk Branch trains continue beyond. Jamaica is 10.8 miles (17.4 km) from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_Station_(New_York) Penn Station]. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montauk_Branch&action=edit&section=6 edit]] Full list, including all former stations